Blood traces : interpretation of deposition and distribution /
Peter R. De Forest, Peter A. Pizzola, Brooke W. Kammrath.
- 1 online resource
Includes index. Peter R. De Forest is Professor Emeritus of Criminalistics at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York. He has served as a scientific consultant on physical evidence issues for over sixty years.
Peter A. Pizzola is the former Laboratory Director and Assistant Commissioner of the New York City Police Crime Laboratory, former manager of the NYC Office of the Chief Medical Examiner Special Investigations Unit and Commanding Officer (retired) of the Yonkers Police Forensic Lab/Crime Scene Unit.
Brooke W. Kammrath is an Associate Professor of Forensic Science at the University of New Haven and Assistant Director of the Henry C. Lee Institute of Forensic Science. She also serves as a scientific consultant and expert witness for both criminal and civil cases.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Preface to Blood traces: Interpretation of deposition and distribution -- Physical evidence record -- Historical perspective -- Characteristics of liquids including blood -- Detection, visual enhancement, identification, and source attribution of blood deposits and configurations -- Terminology, typology, and taxonomy -- Blood droplet dynamics and deposit formation -- Blood trace interpretation and crime scene/incident reconstruction -- Science and pseudoscience -- Modes of practice and practitioner preparation and qualification -- Interesting and illustrative cases -- "Bad" cases - misleading or incompetent interpretations -- More broadly assessed cases : going beyond the request -- Widely held misconceptions -- Resources -- Concluding remarks and looking to the future.
"The authors of this practical book are of the opinion that there are many aspects of the interpretation of blood traces that are of concern and have not been treated with the thought or caution that should be afforded them and that existing texts do not sufficiently emphasize the need for interpretations to be made by experienced scientists with strict adherence to the scientific method. At present there are no science-based higher education requirements for bloodstain pattern analysts, although efforts are underway in the Organization of Scientific Area Committees (OSACs) and the American Standards Board (ASB) of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS). Thus, this text addresses that situations involving the interpretation of blood trace configurations are often very complex and the difficulties faced in rendering conclusions in this area are among the most scientifically challenging of those in any area of forensic science. It aims to provide an understanding of the scientific basis for the use of blood trace deposits (e.g. bloodstain patterns) at crime scenes to better interpret a criminal event. Three key features that will be valuable to the reader are: To provide fundamental principles for the scientific examination and understanding of blood trace deposits and configurations, within the framework of a holistic crime scene investigation. To dispel commonly accepted misinformation about blood traces. To provide valuable illustrative case examples which will aid in demonstrating concepts discussed throughout the book"--